The use of artificial intelligence is on the rise across almost every industry, and the ways it can be used are expanding as we speak. AI can be tremendously beneficial across a variety of fields, but it can also have drawbacks — one of them being a substantial impact on the environment.

The energy consumption required to power AI is significant. Power-hungry AI processors burn through a lot of energy quickly. Creating an image, for example, can use as much power as it takes to charge your phone.

The infrastructure that supports this process also requires the use of other resources, such as water, to cool the systems and prevent overheating. An AI prompt uses as much water as a 16-ounce bottle for every 5-50 interactions.

Despite the negative impact AI use has on the environment, it is not going away. It is becoming a necessity to be competitive in just about any market, so avoiding AI entirely isn't a practical option. The key is to be intentional: knowing when and how to use AI is vital to your business and to the planet.

Related: World Environment Day 2025: Can AI Fix the Energy Problem It Helped Create?

We recommend implementing an AI policy in your company to guide your organization on when to use AI and when not to. This ensures your team's usage will align with company values, standards and legal requirements in order to maximize benefit.

While providing this type of framework will not mitigate the environmental impact of your AI usage, it can give you more control over when you're making the environmental........

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